Using my (unfortunately) chem filled soil

Keighan

Keighan

Well-Known Member
OK, I'm just throwing this out there to get some feedback and responses from some more experienced organic growers, hope ya guys don't mind. I have some seedlings in some old soil I used last grow that was taken out and tilled, it's standard pro mix bx (i believe) with an extra couple added handfuls of vermiculite, anyways it hasn't been used in about a month, the plants it sustained before were very light feeders (fed 3 times entire flowering period) but when it's watered it compacts way to much and I feel I had some serious problems last grow because of it. (Being on a really tight budget right now and a cheap s.o.b.) threw some seeds in because I couldn't be patient for my work bins to be all done :clap: but for 1. I really really want to switch to organic (completely switched my educational focus about 3 months ago from traditional (such an incorrect term but chem growing) to completely focusing on the soil food web, it's lovely inhabitants, and how to implement and succeed with it. So my question is how can I add aeration in an organic form to already planted seedlings. If I can get enough vermicompost to make some aerated tea before they really begin needing food that's my end goal. Would I be able to pull seedlings than mix remaining soil with straw (I have an abundance of spent mushroom blocks made from straw just covered in mycelium. I mean ideally I would love to pull some earthworms out of my bins add some food under some of the soil and let them do their wonderful work, but what concentrations of those ferts would kill them I used ff tiger bloom (inorganic) and ff big bloom. Like I said in very small applications very few times. Idk idk idk :confused:
 
cannakis

cannakis

Well-Known Member
Keighan said:
OK, I'm just throwing this out there to get some feedback and responses from some more experienced organic growers, hope ya guys don't mind. I have some seedlings in some old soil I used last grow that was taken out and tilled, it's standard pro mix bx (i believe) with an extra couple added handfuls of vermiculite, anyways it hasn't been used in about a month, the plants it sustained before were very light feeders (fed 3 times entire flowering period) but when it's watered it compacts way to much and I feel I had some serious problems last grow because of it. (Being on a really tight budget right now and a cheap s.o.b.) threw some seeds in because I couldn't be patient for my work bins to be all done :clap: but for 1. I really really want to switch to organic (completely switched my educational focus about 3 months ago from traditional (such an incorrect term but chem growing) to completely focusing on the soil food web, it's lovely inhabitants, and how to implement and succeed with it. So my question is how can I add aeration in an organic form to already planted seedlings. If I can get enough vermicompost to make some aerated tea before they really begin needing food that's my end goal. Would I be able to pull seedlings than mix remaining soil with straw (I have an abundance of spent mushroom blocks made from straw just covered in mycelium. I mean ideally I would love to pull some earthworms out of my bins add some food under some of the soil and let them do their wonderful work, but what concentrations of those ferts would kill them I used ff tiger bloom (inorganic) and ff big bloom. Like I said in very small applications very few times. Idk idk idk :confused:
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If these are Fresh babes do Not touch them or feed them. Only water for now. If it's compact too tightly then water the cups and dig your finger down in the soil a bit. But if you used ProMix you should be fine. And do Not add Fresh straw to your Growing seedlings because the nitrogen and other chemicals are used to break down the straw and your plants won't grow.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Gypsum is good for loosening up compacted soils and will provide sulfur and a slow long term release of calcium if you plan on recycling your soil for future grows. But you should of mixed it in your soil before you planted in it homie! Lol. What pot size are you in? If you have more of that soil you plan to use when you repot I would mix in some Gypsum first.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
And you can get a big bag of Gypsum that'll last you the rest of your life for about 12 bucks at any Menards/Home Depot type of stores garden center.
 
Keighan

Keighan

Well-Known Member
Top feed batguano give ita week or two and add worms? Could i top feed the gypsum and let it workits way down
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Keighan said:
Top feed batguano give ita week or two and add worms? Could i top feed the gypsum and let it workits way down
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By worms do you mean castings or actual worms? Lol.

Top feed the guano tho. You could top dress the Gypsum but I don't know if it'll uncompact your soil in the way you desire. But it's worth a shot! Just do a 1/2 tbsp per gallon.
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Actual worms will work but just fresh castings will do much the same thing. I like keeping my wormies inside the bin working on making compost but a few always get into my recycled soil bin when I harvest castings. You can add perlite or pumice for aeration but as long as your mix is rinsed well most of the dissolved salts should be dissipated by now. It's the buildup of salts that dries out the bodies of microbes but synthetic nutes are water soluble; just put it in a tote bin or something with drain holes in the bottom & rinse well w/clean water...should be ok to start building up an organic mix once it's rinsed of salts. I still use the same FFOF mix I started out with & used technaflora nutes for a year prior to going TLO organic...its been recycled over & over and it seems to get better with age. An easy way to build up your current mix is to simply add a bag of good soil to it plus fertilizers like guanos for NPK and some minerals like azomite.. I like to add composted chicken manure which gives fast N and I second the gypsum which provides calcium and helps with absorption.
 
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